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"Somewhere Else" is the season finale of the second season of the American
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and drama ...
-
comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term ori ...
television series ''
The Good Place ''The Good Place'' is an American fantasy comedy television series created by Michael Schur. It premiered on NBC on September 19, 2016, and concluded on January 30, 2020, after four seasons and 53 episodes. Although the plot evolves signifi ...
''. It is the thirteenth episode of the season and twenty-sixth episode overall. The episode originally aired in the United States on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...
on February 1, 2018, and was written and directed by series creator
Michael Schur Michael Herbert Schur (born 1975) is an American television producer, writer, director and actor. He was a producer and writer for the comedy series '' The Office'', and co-created ''Parks and Recreation'' with ''Office'' producer Greg Daniels. ...
. "Somewhere Else" sees the four humans returned to Earth with no memories of the afterlife; Michael and Janet monitor their self-improvement over time. The episode focuses on Eleanor after her
near-death experience A near-death experience (NDE) is a profound personal experience associated with death or impending death which researchers claim share similar characteristics. When positive, such experiences may encompass a variety of sensations including detac ...
as she seeks to treat others better. As time passes, her enthusiasm for her moral behavior fades; however, a secret visit from Michael leads her to a speech from Chidi, and she finds herself motivated again. In its original broadcast, the episode was seen by 3.19 million viewers and received critical acclaim. While several critics noted its relative lack of humor, many praised its themes and message, as well as how ''The Good Place'' reinvented itself going into its third season. Retrospective reviews of the episode have remained positive, and it is often ranked as one of the show's best episodes.


Plot

After arriving from the Bad Place, Michael (
Ted Danson Edward Bridge "Ted" Danson III (born December 29, 1947) is an American actor. He achieved stardom playing the lead character Sam Malone on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'', for which he received two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. H ...
) explains to Judge Gen (
Maya Rudolph Maya Rudolph (born July 27, 1972) is an American actress, comedian, and singer. In 2000, she became a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''), and later played supporting roles in the films '' 50 First Dates' ...
) that the four humans have shown self-improvement in the afterlife. He argues this shows the points system tracking people's behavior on Earth is corrupt. While Michael and Gen discuss a solution privately, Janet (
D'Arcy Carden D'Arcy Beth Carden (born Darcy Beth Erokan, January 4, 1980) is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for her starring roles as Janet in the NBC sitcom ''The Good Place'' (2016–2020) and Greta Gill in the Prime series ''A Leagu ...
) confesses her feelings for Jason (
Manny Jacinto Manuel Luis Jacinto ( ; born August 19, 1987) is a Canadian actor born in the Philippines. After several small roles on television, his breakout role came starring as Jason Mendoza on the NBC sitcom ''The Good Place'' (2016–2020). He has appea ...
), inspiring Chidi (
William Jackson Harper William Fitzgerald Harper (born February 8, 1980), known professionally as William Jackson Harper, is an American actor and playwright. He is best known for his role as Chidi Anagonye on the NBC comedy ''The Good Place'' (2016–2020), for which ...
) to kiss Eleanor (
Kristen Bell Kristen Anne Bell (born July 18, 1980) is an American actress. Beginning her acting career by starring in stage productions while attending the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, she made her Broadway stage debut as Becky Thatc ...
). Michael and Gen return with a new proposal: the four humans will be placed in separate Medium Places while they work on a solution for up to a million years. Eleanor argues this would be unfair, but Gen remains convinced the humans only improved because they expected a reward. Michael believes the humans would have improved if given a push in the right direction, which gives him a new idea; Gen reluctantly agrees and resets the humans' memories. Eleanor returns to Earth right before her death, but she is saved by an unseen person. Her brush with death inspires her to become a better person. She quits her shady pharmaceutical job, joins an environmental group, and seeks to behave more ethically throughout her life. However, after six months, she grows frustrated by the lack of recognition for her efforts, and she slips back into her old lifestyle. Michael and Janet, monitoring Eleanor from the afterlife, seek to help her, but Gen forbids them from interfering. Michael sneaks to Earth and poses as a bartender for Eleanor. She complains about the difficulties of being ethical; he encourages her to listen to her conscience and asks her " what do we owe to each other?" Eleanor searches the question online and finds a lecture by Chidi. The lecture resonates with her, and she flies to Australia to meet Chidi in person, pleasing Michael.


Production

In an interview with ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...
'', series creator
Michael Schur Michael Herbert Schur (born 1975) is an American television producer, writer, director and actor. He was a producer and writer for the comedy series '' The Office'', and co-created ''Parks and Recreation'' with ''Office'' producer Greg Daniels. ...
stated that the decision to return the four humans to Earth was due to their progress in the afterlife being "theoretical". As he explained, "It seemed like a natural move to send them back to a time before they made that progress, and to use the idea of nearly dying to test their ability to improve." Michael's scene as a bartender drew attention from several critics as a nod to Ted Danson's role as
Sam Malone Samuel "Mayday" Malone is a fictional character on the American television show ''Cheers'', portrayed by Ted Danson and created by Glen and Les Charles. The protagonist of the series, Sam, a former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox baseba ...
on ''
Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association w ...
''. Danson agreed to the idea when Schur ran it past him, and Schur specifically wrote for Danson to be cutting limes and have a towel on his shoulder in the scene. Later in the episode, Chidi appears to give a speech in English; while his character originally spoke French in the real world and a version was recorded with William Jackson Harper using an accent, Schur opted to stick with Harper's normal voice to prevent confusion.


Reception


Ratings

In its original broadcast on February 1, 2018, "Somewhere Else" was seen by 3.19 million American viewers and received a 1.1
rating A rating is an evaluation or assessment of something, in terms of quality, quantity, or some combination of both. Rating or ratings may also refer to: Business and economics * Credit rating, estimating the credit worthiness of an individual, c ...
among adults ages 18–49. The episode placed fourth in its timeslot among network broadcasts, behind ''
Young Sheldon ''Young Sheldon'' is an American coming-of-age sitcom television series created by Chuck Lorre and Steven Molaro for CBS. The series, set in the late 1980s and early 1990s, is a spin-off prequel to ''The Big Bang Theory'' and begins with the ...
'', ''
Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into ...
'', and '' The Four: Battle for Stardom''. After factoring in seven-day DVR viewership, the episode was seen by 4.95 million viewers and achieved a 1.9 rating in the 18–49 demographic.


Reviews

"Somewhere Else" received widespread acclaim from critics. '' Vanity Fair''s Laura Bradley praised the episode's optimistic message and character growth. She remarked that the episode was the opposite of the first-season finale's major twist, but added that it was "just as satisfying as the first – if not more so". Darren Franich of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cult ...
'' similarly complimented the twist and said, "It's cynical and hopeful, an attempt to reimagine all the great philosophies as a sitcom".
Alan Sepinwall Alan Sepinwall (born October 19, 1973) is an American television reviewer and writer. He spent 14 years as a columnist with '' The Star-Ledger'' in Newark until leaving the newspaper in 2010 to work for the entertainment news website HitFix. He ...
and Kelly Lawler each noted in their reviews for ''
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'' and ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virg ...
'', respectively, that the episode was not interested in humor but felt emotionally satisfying as it laid a new foundation for the show. Sepinwall also expressed concerns about how the show would handle the twist, but he had "long since learned to trust what Schur and company are up to with this series". '' GQ''s Scott Meslow was similarly confident in ''The Good Place''s ability to reinvent itself as its high-concept premise became a "very human story about why it’s important to care about people". Analyzing the episode for '' Vox'', Caroline Framke considered two scenarios to explain the plot – that the humans had returned to Earth or that they were in another simulation – but found that either could make sense, which she found exciting. Steve Greene of ''
IndieWire IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Holl ...
'' found that the finale reinforced the show's theme of faith and of doing good things with no guarantee of later recognition. Several critics drew comparisons between the episode and the final season of '' Lost'', which also placed its characters in an alternate timeline and followed their self-improvement; ''Lost'' co-creator
Damon Lindelof Damon Laurence Lindelof (born April 24, 1973) is an American screenwriter, comic book writer, and producer. Among his accolades, he received three Primetime Emmy Awards, from twelve nominations. In 2010, ''Time'' magazine named him one of the ...
had advised Schur when ''The Good Place'' was being developed, and ''IndieWire'' pointed out an
Easter egg Easter eggs, also called Paschal eggs, are eggs that are decorated for the Christian feast of Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. As such, Easter eggs are common during the season of Eastertide (Easter season). The oldest trad ...
for Lindelof in the episode. Other comparisons included ''
Enlightened Enlightened may refer to: * ''Enlightened'' (TV series), an American comedy-drama * ''Enlightened'' (album), 2007, by Dynamic Duo * The Enlightened, a faction in ''Ingress'' (video game) See also * Enlightened self-interest, a philosophy in et ...
'', '' The Leftovers'', and the final season of ''
The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based American Mafia, Italian-American mobster, portraying h ...
''. In retrospective discussions, "Somewhere Else" has often been placed among the show's best episodes. In his review of the series finale, " Whenever You're Ready", Franich pointed to "Somewhere Else" as "the all-time best ''Good Place'' episode" as it "plumbed a deep well of human frailty"; he found that the show drifted too far into escapism after this episode. In another review for ''
The Verge ''The Verge'' is an American technology news website operated by Vox Media, publishing news, feature stories, guidebooks, product reviews, consumer electronics news, and podcasts. The website launched on November 1, 2011, and uses Vox Media' ...
'', Joshua Rivera also described the episode as "the apex of ''The Good Place''s storytelling prowess". A ranking of the show's episodes before the series finale by '' The Ringer'' placed "Somewhere Else" twelfth, complimenting the "incredibly smart writing", the philosophy discussed, and the show's reconfiguration within the episode. ''
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a bi-annual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ...
'' named "Somewhere Else" as one of the best television episodes of 2018, with Alec Bojalad calling it "equal parts twisty storytelling and emotional fulfillment".


References


External links


"Somewhere Else"
at
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...
.com *
"Ch. 26"
of ''The Good Place: The Podcast'' {{The Good Place 2018 American television episodes The Good Place episodes Television episodes written by Michael Schur